MOMENTS – a film by SABI reaches Picture Lock!

Moments ultimately began last summer, when J. Erik Reese and the executive producers at Sabi Pictures began discussing an idea for the creation of a nano-budget dramatic narrative film.  Erik approached the studio with a project that he and Daniel Carmody were coincidentally batting back and forth – as something to make before Erik left for a year in Sweden. 

At the time, Moments existed only in numerous discussions and in Daniel’s trusted leather-bound notebook, but after some encouragement – it was committed to screenplay format:  a blue-print for guided improvisation.  Shortly thereafter (June 2008) the project received the official green-light from Sabi Pictures.

In it’s earliest stages “Moments” was inspired by two locations for two different stories: San Francisco and Los Angeles.   J. Erik Reese and Daniel Carmody originally planned that both stories would converge thematically, informing each other – a sum greater than its parts.  It was a bold and novel idea and the executive producers at Sabi were more than compelled by it.  Even though both films would look different, feel different, and have a different cast – the two films to be unified by a common thematic thread… 

Several meetings, hundreds of headshots, weeks of casting, huge script changes, and a vigorous production schedule later – the film (in all its structured and improvised glory) was in the can.  And by the end of July 2008, the film was knee-deep in post with cinematographer / editor Joshua Nitschke at the keys.  As Erik packed up and left for Sweden, the three continued their interdependent collaboration via Skype (as documented in the “Making Moments” pod-cast series) and Joshua would subsequently dive deep into the material on his own (and with the support of Sabi).  Both Joshua and Daniel discovered together the finer challenges and greater pains of improvisational editing.  Erik contributed wherever he could – and the filmmakers emerged from Post victorious.

And now, it’s complete.  The picture is locked on Moments – a film by sabi.  Though there is sound work to do, and other minimal finishing choices to be made – the film is beautifully complete.  And if these three talented artists only began with the simple goal of telling a good story – they have exceeded their expectations.  And if the goal was to tell something original, provocative – honest – then this film is an unparalleled, complete success. 

All of us at Sabi Pictures are definitively proud of these three gentlemen who saw the film to its end, and in particular Daniel Camody – a producer who kept the candle burning in post production’s darkest hour.  From J. Erik Reese working improvisational magic on set with our talented cast, to Joshua Nitschke editing in the darkness of the night – these artists interdependently worked with each other to tell the best story possible. 

Sabi Pictures is humbled by and proud of this new breed of filmmakers, and of their new film.

Jan. 22, 2009